Leçon[luh-SAWN]Lesson. The daily class
taken by dancers throughout
their career to continue
learning and to maintain
technical proficiency. It
consists of exercices
à la barre (side
practice) followed by
exercices au milieu
(centre practice),
port de bras,
pirouette practice and petit
and grand allégro.
See these
terms.
Centre practiceCentre practice, or exercices
au milieu, is the name given to
a group of exercises similar to
those à la barre but
performed in the centre of the
room without the support of the
bar. These exercises are
usually performed with
alternate feet and are
invaluable for obtaining good
balance and
control.
Exercices à la barre[eg-zehr-SEESS a lah bar]Exercises at the bar (or
barre). A group of exercises
performed by the dancer
while clasping a bar with
one hand. This bar,
generally a cylindrical
piece of wood is fastened
horizontally to the walls of
the practice room at a
height of about three feet
six inches from the floor.
Bar exercises, or side
practice, are the foundation
of classical ballet and are
to the dancer what scales
are to the pianist. Every
ballet lesson begins with
these exercises. It is at
the bar that the dancer
acquires the fundamental
training for the attributes
he must possess. These
exercises are essential for
developing the muscles
correctly, turning the legs
out from the hips and
gaining control and
flexibility of the joints
and muscles. The exercises
at the bar can be simple or
varied but in general they
include the following
movements:(l) Pliés in the
first, second, fourth and
fifth
positions.(2) Battements tendus.(3) Battements dégagés.(4) Battements fondus.(5) Ronds de jambe à terre.(6) Battements frappés.(7) Adagio.(8) Petits battements sur le
cou-de-pied.(9) Ronds de jambe en l'air.(10) Grands battements.